The present invention relates to a materials handling vehicle, such as a lift truck. More particularly, the present invention relates to a materials handling vehicle having an operator support assembly for absorbing and dissipating energy resulting from disturbances encountered by the vehicle during movement across a floor surface so as to isolate the operator from that energy. While the present invention may be utilized on a variety of materials handling vehicles, it will be described herein with reference to a counterbalanced lift truck for which it is particularly applicable and initially being used.
It is known in the prior art to provide a fork lift truck with a floorboard fixedly mounted to a frame of the truck. A rubber mat, upon which an operator stands, is provided over the floorboard for absorbing a portion of energy resulting from disturbances encountered by the vehicle during movement across a floor surface.
It is also known in the prior art to provide a fork lift truck with a floorboard supported on a plurality, e.g, four, stiff rubber supports. The floorboard is mounted to the truck frame via the rubber supports. The rubber supports absorb a portion of the energy resulting from disturbances encountered by the truck during movement across a floor surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,859 discloses a fork lift truck having a floorboard pivotably supported to the vehicle frame. A plurality of compression springs are provided beneath the floorboard and function to absorb a portion of energy resulting from disturbances encountered by the vehicle during movement across a floor surface.
It is desirable to have operator support assemblies for absorbing energy resulting from disturbances encountered by a materials handling vehicle during movement of the vehicle across a floor surface so as to isolate the operator from that energy.